Cloud

Jiang Chong, please step back first."

Gillian walked out the door and stopped in front of the duty room. Jiang Chong hesitated a little, and she immediately pretended to whip him, "With Master Zhang here, there's no danger."

"I don't know you, sir. I have nothing to say to you." Zhang Yannian quickly distanced himself from the matter, seemingly not wanting to get involved with the man in front of him. Ah Jiao smiled knowingly and said to Jiang Chong, "Stay away. If I find out you were eavesdropping..."

She snorted, pulled Zhang Yannian's sleeve and walked into the duty room.

"Madam, if you have anything to say, please ask Your Majesty to give me a secret order."

Gillian sensed that he was angry, which made her curl the corners of her mouth playfully. She followed his wide sleeves and pulled him towards her. Their eyes met, and he could smell the faint scent of blood and sandalwood on her body. The scent sprayed through her hair, and the tiny strands of hair swayed slightly, brushing against the skin on the side of his neck, causing a shudder that he suppressed.

"Master Zhang seems unhappy to see me. Is it because I hit your prisoner, or because of my robes?"

She was wearing the clothes given by the emperor, which were extremely luxurious. She was very powerful when she moved, and she looked like a favorite concubine.

Zhang Yannian postponed two steps and forcibly pulled her hand away. "I don't know what you are talking about, madam, but I still want to advise you. There are some things that you try to change on your own, which is like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm or trying to shake a tree with an ant. In the end, there will be no good end. If you try to get the skin of a tiger, or if you try to bully the tiger, you will inevitably become a sharp weapon in the hands of others and serve others in vain."

"Even so, what does it have to do with you?" She looked at him frivolously. "Master Zhang, this is very strange. Are you trying to say that if I hit Gongsun Lin tonight, I will incur revenge from Prime Minister Gongsun, Madam Wei, and even the Queen?"

"Don't worry. Not to mention my general, even His Majesty will naturally protect me. What can the Gongsun family do to compete with His Majesty? But I'm still very happy. Lord Zhang cares so much about me. He must love me as much as I do..."

Zhang Yannian's heart trembled as he heard her last soft and tender words, his face darkening. "Madam, please be careful with your words! If you want to harm the general, then forget it. Madam and I have no grudges. Please don't take my life."

Gillian laughed, "It's okay if you don't want to admit it. I'm not like you, saying one thing and thinking another."

He looked straight ahead through his sleeve, yet the pale white hand on his dark official robe shone so brightly from his peripheral vision. The arm beneath the fabric burned, hotter than an iron fresh from a charcoal basin. She still didn't know what was happening, and giggled.

She whispered, "I'll tell you a secret, Master Zhang. I like you, Master Zhang. I've liked you since the first time I saw you."

A loud bang in the house caught Jiang Chong's attention. Just as he was about to approach, he saw Mr. Zhang from the Censorate walking out of the duty room with a red face and a gloomy expression.

"Don't be angry, Master Zhang. I was just joking."

"Zhang Yannian! If you dare to tell others, just go ahead and tell them. I want to see who dies faster, you or me..."

No matter how hard the woman behind him tried to catch up, the man continued to stride forward, as if he was extremely angry with her.

Jiang Chong watched silently for a moment, then followed, "Madam, Lord Zhang is a well-known loyal minister. Why bother with him? If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."

Gillian glanced at him, "Did you hear everything?"

Jiang Chong was startled. "How dare I! Your orders are His Majesty's orders. I would never listen to or say anything without permission."

"That's good to know." She snorted, "Let's go back to the palace."

Hearing this, Jiang Chong finally breathed a sigh of relief. After leaving the Imperial Censorate, Ah Jiao insisted on staying outside, buying this and that, and directed everyone to circle around the city gate before returning to the palace.

Seeing that she was in a good mood today, Liu Che rarely made sarcastic remarks to him. He read for a while and then went to bed early.

She lay on his bed, sleeping on her side. It was a hot summer day, and even though there was a lot of ice in the room, she couldn't help but pull off her outer robe after falling asleep, revealing only half of her snow-white arm, which was placed on the dark red satin quilt.

Liu Che put down the memorial and tucked her exposed ankles under the quilt. He couldn't help but frown as his large hands grasped her feet; they were still as cold as ever. After tucking her in, he went to the head of the bed and gathered her scattered hair. Then, he stood up and straightened the clothes she had thrown on the screen. In her pocket was a small amulet, poorly embroidered, with crooked calligraphy, clearly bought from a peddler's stall. Still, he was pleased. He smoothed the wrinkles out of the clothes with his palms, feeling his restless heart find peace within the soft fabric as he adjusted them.

It’s great that everything is the same as before and she is back.

"Your Majesty, Madam has instructed us to heat up these dumplings for you upon your return."

Jiang Chong entered, carrying a food box. He paused outside the thick, dark purple curtains. Liu Che walked around the screen and exited the inner room. From the food box, Jiang Chong pulled a bowl of flatbread drizzled with chopped green onions and drizzled with sesame oil. Seeing Liu Che sit down to taste it, he deftly took out a silver needle and said, "Madam, today, you had a bowl of flatbread, a basket of steamed buns, and two pieces of soybean cake. I told you that food outside isn't clean, but you wouldn't listen. After bathing, you drank a couple of sips of wine and fell asleep..."

He was not particular about food and had not been very interested in things from outside the palace in the past, but tonight, this bowl of dumplings seemed particularly tempting.

"Next time, be careful. Eating too much at night can cause indigestion. Besides, it's not safe outside the palace right now. She's provoked many people and doesn't know how to restrain herself. She acts recklessly. You must follow her wherever she goes. Don't leave her alone."

"Yes, I know."

"She spoke to Zhang Yannian alone. Do you know what they said?"

Speaking of this, Jiang Chong looked a little embarrassed.

Liu Che glanced at him and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it. Don't hesitate. Tell the truth. I asked you to come here to eat dry food."

"Madam asked Master Zhang for a bottle of medicine."

"medicine?"

"She wants the poison used in the prison to treat prisoners. It can kill people invisibly, and one drop is enough to show its effectiveness."

Jiang Chong's voice became more and more light and fluttery as he spoke. As he spoke, he secretly raised his eyes to look at Liu Che, fearing that something would fall on his head in the next second.

Mrs. Huo was detained in the emperor's bedroom all day long. Apart from him, the person she saw the most was the emperor. She asked Zhang Yannian for poison, and it was easy to guess who it was for.

Liu Che paused and put the bowl down. For a moment, he felt that the food was tasteless.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly, but surprisingly, he didn't get angry. He owed her this. In her opinion, he was the one who killed her in her previous life, so it was only natural for her to seek revenge on him now. There was nothing he could do except be on guard.

"Please invite Doctor Zhou over later."

"Master Zhang ran out in a panic and didn't agree to Madam's request. These dumplings have been tested for poison beforehand, so don't worry."

"I'm not asking him to look after the dumplings. Her hands and feet are always cold. Ask him to check her body and prescribe some soothing herbal soup. Encourage her to drink it regularly and limit her use of cold drinks, as they're not good for fertility."

Jiang Chong was startled, his fear turning into confusion. He subconsciously glanced at the curtain. She had secretly plotted to kill the Emperor, yet His Majesty hadn't blamed her and even planned to have a child with her... Then why had they both gone to such lengths in the first place? He couldn't help but sigh. Well, he just knew that this was someone he couldn't offend.

Liu Che took in Jiang Chong's fleeting look of astonishment, picked up the bowl of flatbread again, scooped up a piece and savored it carefully in his mouth as if it were a delicacy.

The heat of the soup subsided and it became warm. The fragrant oil gradually spread out like beads and slid from the tip of the tongue to the throat. The dough also lost its elasticity, like a soft cloud blocking his throat. He swallowed it forcefully, and it stagnated in his chest.

Hate it, it doesn't matter, without hate, how can there be love. When they have a child, a child that belongs to her, everything will return to the original track. Before Huo Changqing comes back, whether she is willing or not, he will do everything he can to hold her firmly in his palm.

Women are like this. Once they have a child, they will devote all their energy to it. The innocent child will influence her. Whenever she sees the face that resembles his father, her heart will soften. She and Huo Changqing will no longer have any connection. A Jiao should have belonged to Liu Che alone.